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Safety Inspection From He..!

3K views 26 replies 24 participants last post by  PUDDY 
#1 · (Edited)
I failed the safety on Wednesday because they are holding me to 2008 standards. :blink: The inspection took 5 hours because they had never done one before (should have told me that when I booked the appointment). They had to call the head office in Quebec to see what the process was and kept referring to the rule book. Some I won (no defog required because I don't have a roof) and some I lost (they want me to have bumpers and a two speed wiper).

At the end of the day I came out not bad :001_rolleyes::

Need a light for the parking brake (dam thing is right in my face when it's engaged)

I have high mount brake lights on the two roll bar down tubes but they want one in the center because that's where there form says for them to look!

They want me to have daytime running lights. I rig a relay to work of the fuel pump relay. I always run with my lights on by nature anyway.

They want me to have a heat shield on the front part of the pipes (I have heat shields on the rest).

Front and rear bumpers (I tried to explain that they would be cosmetic at best and that the front and rear of the car are designed as a crush zone).

Failed my drivers door because it squeeked! Easy fix with a little body work 10 secs).

Wipers need a second speed. I'll slap in a different motor for the next inspection.

Windshield washer wasn't aimed well enough for them.

Besides the normal inspection they also did what they call a modified inspection where they took all kinds of pics and measurements. They send that, along with with a separate form noting the failures to Quebec for approval of road worthiness be a team of engineers. They included comments on that form about the aluminum being rivited to the frame instead of welded (the book says it should be). DOH, you can't weld aluminum to steel guys! Maybe the guys in Quebec (who have also looked at the same paperwork from all the others registered in Quebec) will have a bit of common sense and override some of their observations. I don't know of any others in Quebec that have a high brake light, heat shield on the front of the pipes or bumpers (real bumpers). Should know in a couple of weeks.

One of the mechanics also wanted to fail me for holes in the body because the brake ducts and side louver holes were not blocked off. Errr, they mean rust holes or damage guy! :confused1: The manager agreed with me. Same mechanic said the belts were not acceptable and the manager sided with me again saying you could not modify a Civic with them but that the roadster was designed for them so it was OK.

Cheers, Rod
 
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#2 ·
You're a better man than I, Rod. I would have gone ballistic after about 30 minutes of that B.S. and probably not come down until the cops took me away. Hang in there, as many of your countrymen have gone through the process and made it. Good luck. Pete
 
#3 ·
Am sorry to hear that Rod. All I can say is that is why I vote for LESS Government !!! Let me keep my money and figure out how to solve my own problems. Outside of reasonable regulations, let me figure out what is safe for my car.
 
#4 ·
Hopefully you get those things sorted out!

I know my build won't begin to pass an OOP inspection - far too many problems with it (Things I can't be bothered to do, or have no idea how to do). But it's all good - I worked out a deal with a local hotrod shop that if I'm willing to walk away with one of their hotrods, I can basically bring in a bedframe with wheels and they'll pass it :lol:
 
#5 ·
Can't imagine after all the things you've done it would'nt pass. Smuggle it into Wisconsin and we'll get you a lifetime Hobbiest plate. No inspection required. Just can't drive the car in January. Al
 
#6 ·
Time to move to Alberta. Still have to have an OOP inspection before registration, but what you endured borders on the ridiculous. Why don't they just come out and say it - no kit cars allowed. Would save an awful lot of frustration and cost.

I agree with the inspection process in general. I think it's a good idea for an experienced mechanic to give a home-built the cold eye, just in case the builder missed something critical. But citing someone for a squeaky door? Come on.

Anyway, best of luck with the next one.

Dennis B.
 
#7 ·
...at a loss for words.
 
#8 ·
Government is not the solution to our problems. Government IS the problem.

Sorry about your experience Rod. KDOT didn't even make me turn on the lights or honk the horn. All they wanted to do is make sure nothing was stolen.

d



 
#9 ·
I just had a moment of clarity in between my glasses of zin.

Sell me the car for $1, I'll get it on the road over on this side of the river like I did with mine. I'll sell it back for $1 and it won't take anything but what the trailer went through since it will have a registration form from Ontario.

Won't that work or have I just drank more than I should have?
 
#10 ·
Sorry it was such a gong show Rod.

I'm not that surprised I guess since these cars are truly out of the ordinary and when bureaucrats try to use 'the book' as a guideline for inspection, they just aren't able to tick off the appropriate boxes in the order they like. Just like bringing the kit across the border, a lot depends on who you meet there and what their level of experience is with these cars/'auto parts'.

I know you will bounce back with a strategy that meets your needs and satisfies the inspection gods.

Any idea whether another inspection location would service you better or are you required to attend a certain location?

Sean
 
#11 · (Edited)
Rod, I have no idea how you manage to cope with that. I found the People's Republic of California unlivable.

I'm trying to visualize how hideous your FFR is going to look with bumpers, a bar between the roll bars for a brake light and heat shields over your headers and collectors!

Mike

PS. Since they called Quebec, I surpised that they didn't require you to add a second emblem under the "Powered by Ford" emblem reading "Actionné par Ford".
 
#12 ·
#14 ·
Rod, thats a bummer man, I guess they are alot tougher in Quebec than Ontario.

All I had to do was provide the certificate of Origin for the kit (BRM not FFR), a sworn affidavit stating where all the parts came from, proof of insurance, a safety inspection from a local mecahnic, who love cobras. We picked our own VIN number, and paid the fees and I was done.

I'm rethinking about whether I want to sell the cobra, insurance is getting to be difficult to get, and putting the cars on the road seem to be getting more difficult.

Good luck.
 
#15 ·
Failed my drivers door because it squeeked! Easy fix with a little body work 10 secs).
It's a little known fact that squeeky doors are the third leading cause of automotibile fatalties. :rolleyes:

Your whole experience is just craziness... I hope the follow up goes better.
 
#16 ·
You can thank the UK inspection process for all your grief. Some of the more moronic inspection criteria was pulled directly from their book.
 
#18 ·
DV/DT - And I thought Canada was more lenient than the USA! My inspection took all of 10 minutes and I don't even have half of what you had to put on your car to make it pass. I got mine titled as a '65 so bumpers were not an issue. I have no top and the car will never see rain so I never installed wipers. But the drivers side door squeeks and you get dinged for that?!! I would have gone nuts on someone. You have far more patience than I.

Glad to see you've taken it all in stride though cause at the end of the day, you'll have forgotten about it all once you're legal and on the road.
 
#20 ·
Safety Inspection in Quebec

Hi Rod
This sounds similar to the situation with getting my Elan back on the road. Every office/official makes up the rules as they go along, no one really knows the requirements.
I was given two pamphlets from the SAAQ by the inspection station in Granby (a big Chev dealer) when I asked them about the Cobra a year or so ago. (Maybe you already have them?)
Les vehicles modifies ou de fabrication artisinale (isbn 2-55042422-0)
Guide de verification mecanique (isbn 2-550-33776-x)
These might(?) help rationalize discussions. Both are in French, don't know if English available. (doubtful?)
I was told the Cobra would be classed as an auto de fabrication artisanale.
Tom Moore
 
#21 ·
So that was the loud sucking noise I heard the other day. It might help if you video the next inspection. Other than that you might want to down 6 shooters of tequila during your next inspection, if nothing else it will make you bullet-proof.
Cheers,
Mark
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the support guys! I don't mind having someone else check over my work for safety related stuff but what bothered me was:

a. They had no idea what they were doing;

b. They were anal retentive about everything; and

c. The fact that the rules are being interpreted differently compared to other locations.

:mad::mad:

He told me during the inspection that I would need something from the company saying the front and rear were crush zones before he could accept the "bumpers" so I found it on their web site and will drop by and see him tonight.

Got all the small stuff done up on the weekend so hopefully I can get the rest cleaned up next weekend.

Cheers, Rod
 
#23 ·
He told me during the inspection that I would need something from the company saying the front and rear were crush zones before he could accept the "bumpers" so I found it on their web site and will drop by and see him tonight.

Cheers, Rod
Good find, Rod!!!
 
#24 ·
guess i will have to stick to the steel door/guns/dogs plan.

those guys might be personally liable for anything they miss or pass. i know in new zealand a guy got a pretty long prison term because a wheel came off his modified car and killed a kid. new zealand is near canada, right?
 
#26 ·
My dad had to register his Isseta as a two door because the State told him there was no such thing as a 1 door car because the form only gave 2 door or 4 door as options...:001_huh:



My inspection wasn't that bad, the cop still had no clue and acted like I was taking him away from his "important" duties but I got passed..:biggrinking:

Jim
 
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